


Where Loyalties Lie

by TransientGuest



Category: Original Work
Genre: Elves, M/M, Oath-breaker, Royalty, War, Youngling, kingdom - Freeform, prince - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2016-01-06
Packaged: 2018-04-20 07:30:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4778822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TransientGuest/pseuds/TransientGuest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To be an oath-breaker is the worst crime possible if you're an elf. Nri'Alda is one such elf.  He just happened to break an oath he made to the king. An act that ended in death.</p><p>Now, 16 years later prince Arroe is still looking for the man who killed his father. The only problem: no one's seen head or tail of this man since the killing.  After an attack on a village leaves Arroe with the first lead he's had in years he teams up with a boy named Aldrian and goes on a quest to avenge his father's death and bring the oath-breaker to justice.</p><p>They just didn't plan for things to get quite so twisted along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Janice was feeling triumphant. She had finally managed to convince her big scaredy cat of a husband to watch some old horror movie. With the typical blood gutz and gore and that big breasted heroine, _you know the one._ And boy was she enjoying watching him squirm and cringe at each new terror displayed on the screen.

Each twisted surprise elicited a squeak of shock, more becoming of a chipmunk or a prairie dog, from the scared man. She chuckled looking up at the man she loved fondly. Honestly, it kind of looked like he'd wet himself if she even exhaled suddenly. She reached her arms around Frank comforting him with a hug.

T _he villain was slowly stalking toward the poor dumb heroine. he crept closer. All she would have to do was turn around and she'd see him. But her terrified gaze was looking for the man in the wrong direction. She thought she was safe in that stupid hiding spot. The girl's breathing was erratic, breast quivering with each gasping breath. She was just so_ scared _. The man was almost upon her. Still sneaking from behind._

_He positioned his gun to her head and quickly clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle her screams._

_He put his finger on the trigger and..._

There was a knock on the door.

Frank jumped and let out one of those oh-so-adorable squeaks. That had been a knock on _their_ door, Janice realized. Someone knocked on their door in the middle of the night while they were watching a horror movie and having cuddly couple time.

_Hmm_ , one of them should probably get up and answer the door. But Janice was so comfortable. Surely her loving husband would answer the door for her.

She looked to Frank expectantly. His eyes widened and he managed to squeak out, "No way in Hell am I answering that door."

Then again... maybe not.

Janice let out a huff and rolled her eyes. "Alright, I'll open it."

Groaning, she languidly pulled herself off the couch and stretched, wincing as her shoulder popped. She strolled over to the door and turned on her porch light, unlocked the door and slowly opened it.

"Oh. My. God," she breathed.

The sight that awaited her looked like it could have been straight out of the movie they were watching. There, in front of Janice, on their front porch stood a man. A beautiful, stunning being with long crimson locks and strange red eyes. And the guy had pointed ears. It was a strange sight but not unheard of, Janice supposed. She had a cousin that had slightly pointed ears. Nothing on this guy's though. Maybe it was cosplay? His clothes certainly matched that deduction...

And in the man's arms was a child.

Sounds nice right? _Aww._ Not scary at all. Except the man was covered head to toe in blood.

He took a ragged breath in and Janice realized he was shaking pretty badly. "Please," he licked his lips which just succeeded in smearing some of the blood around and making Janice want to vomit, "take care of my child," he offered the small babe to Janice. "Take care of my Aldrian."

Not knowing what else to do, Janice nodded and numbly took the boy from his father's shaking hands.

Once he was cradled in her arms she took in the child's appearance. He had the same strange features as his father. But instead of red eyes the child's were an unnatural gold.

The boy blinked up at her with intelligent eyes and she watched disbelieving as that strange gold color dimmed to a more usual honey brown. His crimson locks became a more subdued red. And those ears. The boy's pointed ears rounded out making him appear more... _human._

She gasped in wonder at the child in her arms, questions running fast and fleeting through her mind.

_Who was this strange man?_

_Why had he given Aldrian to her?_

_Why was he covered in blood?_

_What was he running from?_

Because he was clearly running from something... or someone.

She wanted answers.

When Janice looked up from the child to ask his father those questions, and more, there was nothing in front of her but an empty porch. She gasped looking frantically for any signs of the man that had been standing in front of her. _Great_ , next time somebody sowed up on her doorstep covered in blood she was slamming the door in their face.

There was no sign of him ever being there.

"Frank!" she exclaimed running into their living room the babe held close to her chest.


	2. Sixteen Years Later

"Aldrian, we're moving." Never have words affected a teenager more.

"What? Why?" the teen asked completely crestfallen by the announcement. It was midway through senior year and they were _moving_? This was like every cheesy teens book ever. The kid moves and has to overcome obstacles while making friends (and enemies) at a new school. Why couldn't they wait until _after_ he graduated? Then they could do whatever they wanted.

And it's not like he could just stay here... Sure he was eighteen, but he could far from support himself. As much as he hated to admit it, he was still very dependent on his parents.

"Well, sweetie, I got a new job," Janice began.

"You didn't have a job," her son countered.

Janice rolled her eyes. "Okay, I _got_ a job. _Better_?"

_Not really_ , Aldrian wanted to shout. He didn't want to move. Didn't want to leave his friends and be the new kid. "And since we only have one car and I need it to get to my job in the city, we're moving closer to your mom's work."

"I'm gonna walk to work everyday," his mother said excitedly swinging her arms back and forth in a way that was probably supposed to mimic a brisk walk.

Aldrian sighed realizing he had absolutely no say in this decision at all. It was obviously a done deal. Dejected he asked, "Where are we moving?"

"Oh, just to the more rural side of town," Janice chirped.

"Wait... we're not leaving this town? I'll still be at the same school? With my friends?"

"Of course you will kiddo," Frank assured. "We wouldn't make you go to a new school halfway through your senior year."

Okay, maybe this wouldn't be too bad. "When do we move in?" Aldrian asked assuming he had at least a week or two, maybe a couple months (how long did it take to move?) before he'd be in his new house.

"Wednesday!" his parents answered simultaneously. _Well... you know what they say about assumptions._

Wednesday?" he repeated making sure he heard them right. When they nodded he cried, "That's in two days!"

 

**Two Days and a Couple of Hours Later**

Aldrian was exhausted. He had spent the last couple of days moving into their new house in _addition_ to going to school. Today, Wednesday, his parents had cut him a break and let him stay home. And then made him unload boxes and move furniture all day... Now he was sitting on the back porch staring off into the woods utterly exhausted. But he had to admit, there was something terribly enchanting about them and Aldrian knew he'd be exploring them before the day was over.

When he had first seen where they were living he had been skeptical on how this location could be closer to _anything_ let alone his mom's new job, but then she had pointed out her job as they passed. (Some daycare place) and their house was _maybe_ a quarter of a mile away.

The house was quaint. It was a cape cod and pretty much the perfect size for two. Aldrian wondered if his parents were trying to tell him something. But he had been given the upstairs loft as his domain and, although some of the ceiling angles were uncomfortably sloped, it was a pretty decent space.

He got up from his seat and walked in the back door. "Mom," he called.

"Yes sweetie?" Janice called from somewhere in the house.

"I'm going to check out the woods."

"Alright, just be careful and make sure you're home for supper."

Aldrian assured her he would be and then headed back outside. He walked aimlessly for a while taking in the sights and smells and sounds of the forest. He had always loved nature. It had such a calming effect on him. At their old house he hadn't really even had much of a yard, but he had some garden pots where he had grown herbs and vegetables. He could probably make a whole garden of fruits and vegetables now.

Aldrian saw a stream up ahead. It wound through the forest seemingly cutting the area in two. The closer he got to it the more he felt he wanted to cross the small trickling body of water. Maybe it was a case of the grass always being greener on the other side or something like that. Whatever the reason, Aldrian knew he was going to cross this stream.

There wasn't a bridge or anything to cross it but it didn't look too deep and it was only probably eight feet wide. Aldrian didn't mind getting his feet wet.

He did, however, mind getting his shoes wet. He sat down on the bank of the creek and took off his shoes and socks, He'd come back for them later. Getting up, Aldrian took a slow step into the stream smiling as the cool water tickled his skin. The water only went up to his ankles so he slowly made his way across, careful not to slip and fall into the gently stream.

The water was up to mid-calf now as he neared the center of the stream. Something strange happened. The air seemed to grow thick and hard to move through the more he moved forward. It got so thick at one point it felt like Aldrian was trying to move through molasses. He took two sticky steps forward determined to press on and suddenly everything in the air was back to normal.

But the forest was not.

If Aldrian thought it had looked enchanting before, it was down right mystifying now. Everything looked brighter. More alive. The trees danced in the gentle breeze and there were wild flowers everywhere that looked so content Aldrian _swore_ he could hear them singing. Birds chirped, chipmunks squeaked and Aldrian was grinning like a fool.

Never in his life had he seen something so inherently wonderful. He dimly wondered if this might be what Eden looked like. The bright sun danced between the swaying branches of the trees warming Aldrian's face with its gentle touch.

This area was just so perfect.

Aldrian made his way over to a large oak tree. The sun was warming its trunk nicely and it looked like the absolute perfect place to sit. So Aldrian sat and relaxed, leaning back against the inviting oak and basked in the sun's golden rays.

In no time he had fallen fast asleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Arroe felt a disturbance in their eastern border. Somebody had passed through onto their lands and had not been stopped by their little enchantment. He frowned. That didn't make sense. Unless... was that scum of an elf, the oath-breaker, finally showing his face.

Arroe certainly hoped so. After virtually sixteen years of stagnancy, of absolutely no sign of the murderous wretch he wouldn't mind a break in catching the fiend.

"Come on Aspen," he steered his horse in the direction of Eodem, the eastern village in the kingdom. Perhaps he would find his answers there.

He did a brief sweep through the small town looking for anything that looked suspicious and came up completely empty handed. Maybe the intruder never left the forest. If that were the case, it was likely this wasn't the oath-breaker, but Arroe still decided he should investigate. The thing that worried him about this break was that the borders to the kingdom were all magically protected. On the east side of the kingdom the magical barrier ran through a stream. Maybe if he went over that way he'd find the cause of the disturbance.

Then he'd deal with the threat.

But when he finally found the cause of the disturbance Arroe wasn't sure how to proceed. Usually he apprehended suspicious elves and had them questioned, but this young boy asleep at the base of a tree surely posed no threat. Arroe nudged his horse with his heels encouraging the chestnut mare to move closer to the slumbering boy.

How had a _human_ gotten past their enchantment? The spell was designed to keep humans away. It made them want to turn back and leave the woods if they ventured too close to the barrier. It wasn't possible for a human, especially one so young to break through a barrier set by one of their kingdom's few powerful magic wielders. Only elves could pass through. Not many elves ever _wanted_ to pass through but when they did the head of border patrol, Arroe, was alerted of the break and had to investigate.

Yet here the boy was, living proof that something must have went wrong with the spells. Arroe studied the boy. He looked no more than eighteen with exciting, by human standards, red hair and pale skin that was beginning to pinken from being in the sun too long. The boy was beautiful, his looks rivaling some of the fairest elves.

Arroe decided he'd wake the kid up gently and see why, and how, he had wandered into the kingdom. He dismounted his horse and took the last couple of steps over to the boy. Arroe crouched down and reached a hand out to gently shake the child awake when he felt it.

Magic.

All over the boy.

Humans didn't have magic.

"What are you?" he whispered staring at the sleeping boy in confusion. He was pretty sure he knew what the boy had to be... but it didn't make _sense_. Then the boy's eyes fluttered open.

* * *

 

 

Aldrian awoke, eyes slowly blinking open to come face to face with a strange man. He immediately tried to scramble backwards to get away from him only to clonk his head into the tree that had seemed so inviting earlier.

"Jesus!" he hissed at the man, "You scared the crap out of me." Aldrian sighed roughly getting to his feet. He rose a questioning eyebrow at the man when he mirrored the motion, eyes growing wide when he realized the man had his right hand resting on a sheathed sword.

"Woah buddy, keep that thing in your pants," he ordered waving his hands frantically. Then he realized what he said and felt his face heat in embarrassment, maybe not the best choice of words.

The man's lips curled into a smirk at Aldrian's word choice. This kid was definitely strange, and Arroe was beginning to think that _maybe_ the barrier had worked like it was supposed to.

While the man was apparently lost in thought Aldrian took the chance to do some ogling. After all he wasn't blind (and thank goodness for that) the man was extremely attractive. It almost made up for the lack of personal space that Aldrian was currently being subjected to. Seriously, the man was too close. He was just staring with those piercing blue eyes his blond hair, long and pulled back into a totally manly half ponytail, billowing in the same nonexistent breeze that seemed to affect everything else in the forest. And just like everything else in the forest, the man seemed to have an otherworldly quality about him. The strangely pointed ears didn't go unnoticed by Aldrian.

And then the man suddenly spoke, "What are you doing out here in the forest youngling?"

Arroe waited to hear what the youngling would say. He realized now that the only thing this child could be was an elf. An elf with a glamour strangely in place while in the kingdom. And a very strong glamour at that. He couldn't believe the strength the kid had to possess to keep it going while he was sleeping.

"Am I not allowed to be here?" the kid asked sounding more than a bit defensive.

Arroe hesitated before answering. "It's not that you're _not_ allowed to be here. The woods are just," he paused trying to find the right word that would make the elf scurry home to his village that he shouldn't have left in the first place. What was a youngling doing in the human world anyway? "They are just _unsafe_ at night and it's getting close to sundown. You should return to your village."

" _Shit_!" the youngling cursed looking up to the sky to see that the sun was in fact setting.

Aldrian groaned. He was supposed to be home for supper. There's no way his mother hadn't eaten already. He immediately turned away from the handsome elf-man, he needed to get home. "Well I'll be getting back to my _village_ now. See yah, Legolas," Aldrian threw over his shoulder before running off into the direction of his home.

"Legolas?" Arroe shrugged in confusion and went to continue his patrol around the perimeter of his kingdom.

 

* * *

 

 

By the time Aldrian was at his back porch and sneaking up the steps the sky was well on its way to being black. He opened the door, intent on sneaking into the house and the damn thing squeaked. Aldrian swore under his breath, "shit." That door sounded like the loudest fucking sound in the world.

Right inside the door with her arms crossed was his mother. And she looked _pissed._ "Shit is right," she glared at him and Aldrian closed the back door gulping at the stern look on his mother's face. He was about to be ripped a new asshole. At least his father was still at work. He hated when they did that parent double team yelling technique. "Where were you?" she barked.

"Uhh I was-"

"Do you have any _idea_ what time it is?"

"Yeah and-"

"I was so worried about you," she kind of sounded like she was going to cry and Aldrian immediately felt bad for worrying her. He waited to see if she was going to say something else before trying to explain himself again. Which resulted in a couple seconds of awkward silence before he figured it was safe to talk. So he told her what happened. "Well, I was exploring the forest, like I said I was going to, and I sat down by a tree and... fell asleep."

He was beginning to realize just how lame his excuse sounded.

"You fell asleep?" his mom asked in a voice that made it clear she doubted his story.

"Yeah... and," should he tell her about the guy on the horse? Oh, what the hell, couldn't make the story any _less_ believable. "If it wasn't for the guy on the horse, that woke me up, I'd probably still be under that tree sleeping." Maybe that was a little _less_ believable. Probably shouldn't even mention that the guy looked like an elf.

"Uh huh," she didn't believe him. It kind of hurt to know she didn't trust what he was saying. But instead of demanding the "truth" from him Janice just shook her head and gave a little half shrug. "I saved you some supper. It's on the table. ou'll probably have to heat it up."

Aldrian smiled at her gratefully, "Thanks Mom." He made his way to the kitchen.

"Oh, and Aldrian," she called after him. He poked his head out of the kitchen to show he was listening. "You ever stay out late without so much as a call again and I'll whoop you ass," she stomped away.

Aldrian chuckled as he grabbed the plate of vegetarian spaghetti and heated it in the microwave. He sat at the table thinking back on his time in the woods.

It had been an absolutely beautiful place. So full of life. He had seen so many thriving plants. Heard some very happy animals and saw one fine specimen of human. Or, at least he was pretty sure the guy was human. 'Cause, really, what else could he be? Sure if Aldrian lived on Middle-earth or Alagaesia he wouldn't hesitate to call the man an elf. Heck, he _had_ called him Legolas.

But elves didn't _really_ exist.

Or, at least as far as him and the rest of the world knew, they didn't. Maybe they were just really good at hiding? _Ooh_ maybe they used _magic_ to hide their existence.

Aldrian snorted. _Yeah right_ and maybe he was a vampire, certainly pale enough to be one. Things like elves and magic and vampires didn't exist. End of story. Oh god, what if that man had been nothing more than a figment of his imagination?

Nope. That couldn't be true. His imagination couldn't produce something _that_ sexy. He only hoped next time he was in the woods he'd see that strange man again.


	3. Chapter Two

The school day had been uneventful so far. It was Aldrian's senior year and most of the credits he needed to graduate had already been met so he had been able to pack this last year full of electives. Yes, Aldrian was finally getting to take classes he _wanted_ to take. The first half of his day consisted of AP English, orchestra, wood crafts and (his favorite) fine metals.

All of those classes had gone without a hitch or anything unusual happening. Just like every other day of his life.

So, it was time for lunch, where he finally got to be with his friends. He made his way to his locker to get the books he needed for his advanced botany class and headed to the cafeteria. Aldrian stood in the long buyers line and made his way to the salad bar. After loading up his plate and paying he went to sit at the table with his friends.

Eli and Maddie were on vacation and Adish... well, there was something weird going on with that boy, so there were only two people at his table besides him. Jessica was siting there, chewing on a Twix bar, her nose stuck in some shojo manga. And Josh. Josh seemed to be trying to kill himself by banging his head on the table over and over again.

Aldrian raised an eyebrow at his friend's strange behavior. "What'd the table ever do to you?" he asked his best friend as he claimed a seat at the table and began to chow down on his food.

Josh just banged his head another time with a groan and left it there. He turned to glare at Aldrian. "I'm so screwed," he whined.

"What'd you do this time?" Josh had this habit of doing... _stupid_ things that ended up making his and his friends' lives more difficult.

Josh slowly lifted his head off the table and began twiddling his thumbs. He bit his lip and cast a nervous glance toward Aldrian before hastily looking away. "You remember that archery club I'm starting for second term?"

"Yeah," Aldrian didn't see where this was going. What could have possibly went wrong with an archery club that hasn't even met yet?

"well," Josh huffed and looked away. He swallowed thickly, "I...I"

Jessica slammed her book down on the table making both boys jump. "The idiot didn't realize that the club was scheduled to start _tomorrow_ after school and he needs at least ten people at the meeting or the club automatically gets cancelled for the semester due to 'lack of interest.'"

"Okay, _and_?" surely there had to be at least ten people at this school that wanted to be in an archery club. That sport should be really freaking popular right now because of a certain book with a character that volunteers as tribute for something or other.

"Well. I kind of didn't put up any flyers yet. No one knows about it." Josh explained thickly. "I was putting the flyers up next week when I thought second term started."

Okay, that was a small problem, Aldrian supposed. "So, as long as you have ten people tomorrow you'r okay?"

Josh nodded.

Aldrian shrugged his shoulders, "Get ten people."

"But who can I get on such short notice?" Josh asked.

Jessica sighed, "well, thanks for thinking of inviting your friends whom you sit with every _day_ at lunch," her sarcasm was a little thick.

"Really? You would come?" Josh bounced up and down on his seat excitedly.

"I'll be there. And I know I can get my boyfriend and his brother Max to come. Sylvia and her entourage will also come if I mention you're gonna be there." Sylvia was Jessica's little sister. Her and her friends all had enormous crushes on Josh for some strange reason. "And with you, that'll be nine or ten people at the club."

Josh looked a little nervous again. "Ten is fantastic. But if only _nine_ show up... there goes the club."

Aldrian sighed. "I can come tomorrow," he admitted.

"Really?!"

"Yeah, just don't laugh at me when I suck," the teen said.

"No problem. It doesn't matter how much you suck as long as you show up." Josh was bouncing up and down in his chair again.

The bell rang and Josh hugged Aldrian before skipping out of the cafeteria.

"Another crisis averted," Jess said picking up her book pile and leaving throwing, "see you tomorrow," over her shoulder.

Aldrian chuckled and got up quickly throwing his trash away.

He wondered if he had made a mistake by telling Josh he'd be at the archery club tomorrow. Jessica and Sylvia had both went to a camp when they were younger where they had learned how to shoot. Sylvia still shot on weekends, sometimes bring her friends with her. And Max and Lance, Jessica's boyfriend, both went hunting during bow season.

And Aldrian, Aldrian had never even touched a bow. He never had any interest in shooting a pointy projectile at anything. He'd probably be the only one there that had never shot before. Oh well... at least it was for a friend.

 

* * *

 

 

Aldrian was walking through the forest. It was the same breathtaking area as the last time minus one beautifully imposing man on a magnificent horse. If he ever saw the man again perhaps he'd ask for a name.

He walked past the lovely tree he had slept against the other day, continuing until he found himself in a field. The grass there was taller than under the shade of the trees and glowed a brilliant gold under the warm rays of the sun. He closed his eyes and just listened to everything around him. Aldrian could hear the grass blowing in the gentle breeze. Insects were buzzing, birds chirping. There was the high pitched squeak of a chipmunk somewhere nearby, and then Aldrian heard the little animal scurry away. He felt the breeze ghost over his skin, the sun's warmth kiss his face. He let his hands swing to his sides happy with the feel of the grass tickling them as he swung them at his sides,

He was content just to stand there in the field with his eyes closed, taking in all the beautiful feelings and sounds of the clearing around him.

A small frown marred his features as the sun's warmth vanished from his face. Aldrian opened his eyes, assuming some clouds had passed in front of the sun, and jumped when he came face to... nose with the large chestnut mare from the other day. He yelped in alarm and tripped, arms swinging erratically before he ultimately landed on the ground.

"Ow."

"I did not mean to startle you, Youngling," the beautiful man from the other day spoke.

Aldrian glared up at the man good naturedly. He saw that small mischievous smirk gracing the man's features. "Yeah, sure you didn't" he grumbled climbing to his feet.

The man looked down at him, a strangely calculating look on his countenance. Finally his face morphed into a charming smile. "You know, this is the second time I have seen you in these woods and yet I don't know what to call you."

Wow that was some convoluted way of asking for a name. Seriously, technically the man asked in a way that didn't even involve a question. "I don't know your name either," Aldrian stated, rather than just simply telling the man his name.

The man's brow crinkled in confusion as if there was no way Aldrian shouldn't know his name. Maybe he was famous? Aldrian wouldn't know. He tried to stay away from anything that had to do with celebrities.

Never taking his eyes from the boy the man on the horse introduced himself. "Forgive my lack of manners. I am Arroe, son of Pal'nix."

Aldrian didn't know who this Pal'nix fellow was, but he must have been important. He was just happy to have a name to put with the man on the horse. And took a minute to admire the irony of the man's name being Arroe when all his troubles of the day came from _arrows..._ and bows. Aldrian realized he had been unintentionally staring at Arroe. "Sorry, my name is Aldrian."

The man bowed his head in greeting, "Pleased to meet you Aldrian."

 _Ooh_ , Aldrian liked the way her said his name.

"Is there a family name that goes with that?"

"Um," Aldrian hesitated. Should he tell this guy his last name? Could he trust the man? How much did he really know about the strange robin hood-esq man in front of him? What if he told the guy his name and in a couple of weeks (more likely months or years) he was qualified to be the next big star on a little show called _Forensic Files_?

He looked up at the man. He didn't _look_ like a killer. But... what did a killer look like? Aldrian didn't know, but he was pretty sure killers didn't look or act like Arroe. After all this wasn't their first meeting. Surely if the man meant him any harm he would have already done something.

What was more likely to happen in a couple of weeks was Aldrian having some serious one-handed fantasies using Arroe's image and shouting his name. He sighed, here went nothing, "My full name's Aldrian Heartman-Patel."

Arroe let a gentle smile grace his features, "There now, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

There was the sound of some kind of blaring horn off in the distance and Arroe sighed, "Alas, duty calls. I trust you'll stay safe, and perhaps I will see you in these parts again soon."

Aldrian just nodded and watched as the handsome man turned his horse in the direction of the horn's persistent call before galloping off into the distance.

Aldrian stayed in his peaceful clearing until the sun started to set and then carefully made his way home.


	4. Chapter Three

Arroe swiftly hopped of of his mare, Aspen, and handed her to one of the stable hands. He strode towards the front entrance of his, for lack of a better term, palace. Two workers opened the doors for him as he approached.

An old refined elf greeted him stiffly, "Master 'nix your mother-"

"Roth'wen, how many times do I have to ask you to call me Arroe?" The young man asked.

"At least once more, sir," Roth'wen answered primly a minute smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Arroe knew a losing battle when he saw one and decided to drop the matter. If he hadn't gotten the man to call him by his name up to this point in his life, he probably never would. "Now, where is my mother?" he asked rubbing his hands together, "And why did she summon me? Has something happened?"

Instead of answering his questions Roth'wen turned around, "I shall lead you to her." The man stated as he began leading the way to Arroe's mother.

Roth'wen stopped in front of the library and opened the door for Arroe. "The queen awaits," the man said making a ridiculous flourishing bow that was probably supposed to usher Arroe into the room.

The prince entered the room slowly and the doors closed quietly behind him.

There across the room of expansive bookshelves practically silhouetted by the sun's light from the window behind was his mother. She stood regal and tall, her long blonde hair glistening in the bright light.

Arroe crossed the room and stood in front of her. "Mother," he all but whispered pulling her into a hug.

"Arroe," she spoke just as quietly, hr voice choked by her strong emotions. "It has been too long." She pulled hack and held him at arms length studying her son. His hair was longer than she remembered and his beautiful easygoing features had hardened some with the passing of less than happy times.

"Mother, is something wrong? Why was I summoned here?" Arroe asked concern lacing his voice.

"Nothing is wrong Arroe."

His brow creased in confusion," then why was I summoned? I was patro-"

"I missed my son," the queen spoke fiercely, a look in her eyes that dared him to say that reason wasn't good enough. "It's been _months_ since I've last laid eyes on you. _Years_ since we've had a real conversation. Your father wouldn't want you to devote your life to this revenge. And I miss my son."

"But Mother," Arroe flung his arms out wide in an exasperated sweep, "Dad's killer is still out there somewhere. I can't just sit around and do nothing while that... that _oath-breaker_ is still running free."

The queen spoke soothingly trying to placate her son, "I know, son, I miss him too. But diving full headed into your work and forgetting to _live_ isn't going to help anyone. Nri'alda has been on the run for years. Nobody is going to find him unless he wants to be found."

The queen decided to change the subject slightly. Since her son was so focused on his duty to patrol their boarders she'd just ask about that. "So, how have the territory lines been lately? I trust everything has been quiet?"

At her questioning assumption Arroe's face adopted a most curious look. She had never seen that emotion on his countenance. It contained a certain amount of peace, contentment, happiness and perhaps wistful longing. "Not quiet, but _safe_ , yes."

"What do you mean?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

Arroe flashed his mother a gentle smile. "Looks like you're going to finally get that chat you've been wanting, Mother," motioning to two chairs in the room he continued. "Perhaps we should sit down."

Once they were seated and comfortable the queen leaned forward, her gaze fixed on her son, "Now, what have you found at the boarders?"

Arroe began, "The past couple of days when I was riding past the eastern edge of our kingdom I have come across a youngling." The queen let out an audible gasp. A youngling alone out by the edge of the kingdom was _strange_ , to say the least. Arroe continued, "He's probably no more that 18 years old."

"Eighteen? Why is he out on his own at such a young age? And so far from the main protection of the kingdom," she didn't understand how something like this was even possible. Younglings were cherished, sheltered and kept close to home to keep them safe from the dangers of the world outside of their elven safe haven.

"That's the very question I asked the first time I saw him and... well, honestly he just looked confused. "I," the prince sighed looking his mother in the eyes, "I don't think he knows he's an elf."

The queen sat up straight clenching her fists in a simmering rage, "How could he not know?" the very notion of an elf living not as what they were was unthinkable. "Surely his appearance has raised a few questions?"

"He's glamoured. Has a strong glamour on him that makes him look like one of the mundane. He has probably had the glamour on him since he was very young."

"And there was another thing too," the prince let out a frustrated huff, "he didn't recognize me." His face looked so confused.

"Oh my little sunbeam, everyone in this kingdom is not going to recognize you on sight," his mother joked good naturedly.

"But it wasn't just on sight," Arroe argued. "I told him my name and. I told him Dad's name. He didn't show any signs of recognition at all."

"Hmm," was the queen's only response. This was perplexing. She knew not everyone knew what her son looked like, as over the years he had been mostly absent from life about the main kingdom, so focused on his father's wrongful death, but everyone in the kingdom at least knew their names.

King Pal'nix, Queen Noir and Prince Arroe. Those names were not secrets from anyone in the kingdom. But there was still on name that the queen did not know. "What is the youngling's name?"

"Aldrian Heartman-Patel," the prince spoke the name with a warmness that did not go unnoticed by the queen.

"Are you sure he's an elf?"

"Positive," Arroe answered with such certainty. "He has a way with plants. They're happier when he's around, _grow_ , and... he just _feels_ like one of us."

The queen could not argue with the conviction with which her son spoke. "If you see him again, see if he will come back here. I'd like to meet him," she decided. She could tell this enigmatic youngling had bewitched her son, and wanted to know more about the boy who so quickly obtained the affection of her emotionally stunted son.


	5. Chapter Four

Aldrian walked into the room with trepidation. There were targets set up, at least 15, and bows prepared of different sizes and strengths for the club members to use. He even thought he saw some compound bows. Those were way too complicated looking for him. He could see himself having enough trouble with the simple ones.

Maybe it wasn't too late to leave. Aldrian looked around the room at the people present. Jessica, Max, Lance, Sylvia, Cleo, Cherish, Chance, Chaz and, of course, Josh. "Dammit," he cursed after taking his mental tally. He needed to be there or the club wouldn't exist past its first meeting. He hated to be that important.

At that moment Josh saw him and standing awkwardly in the doorway and came to rescue him.

"Hey," he greeted, "I'm really, _really_ glad you came."

"And I'm happy to be here," Aldrian replied with a certain amount of biting sarcasm.

Josh just rolled his eyes at his friend's comment. "How about, after the teacher's introduction, I teach you how to shoot?"

Aldrian wasn't sure he wanted to learn how to shoot. He didn't like the idea of using a weapon, but he supposed he could try, just this once, and it would be okay. After today, he'd never have to pick up a bow again. What did one time matter anyway? "Thanks, I'd like that," he smiled wanly at his friend.

The teacher greeted them and went over the rules. There were whistle commands they needed to know and verbal commands. Two whistles meant the could approach and straddle the line. One, they could begin shooting. Three, it was time to pick up the arrows they shot and four or more whistles meant to shut the fuck up and listen 'cause some shit's about to hit the fan.

When the teacher was done with his little safety spiel everyone got up and picked out a bow and an arm guard and went to begin shooting. Aldrian just stood, staring at the bows with apprehension. Josh noticed his friend's hesitance and came to help him. "So when picking a bow you want one that you can pull back all the way to here," he picked up a bow and held it out in front of him like he would in front of a target. Then he pulled the string back right along the side of his face. It almost looked like hi hand was touching his ear. "It should be hard to pull back, but not so hard that you exert all of your energy to pull the freaking string back." Josh handed a bow to Aldrian. "Try this one."

Aldrian hesitantly took the bow from his friend. "What hand do I hold it in?" he asked and immediately felt stupid when Josh slapped his hand to his head.

I'm an idiot," Josh groaned, "should have went over that first. Are you left eyed or right eyed?"

Aldrian actually knew the answer to that... didn't remember how he knew, probably a science lab or something, but he knew it. "Left eyed."

"Oh! So then you'll shoot left handed," Josh said as if that explained everything to Aldrian. Seeing the blank look his friend was still giving him, Josh sighed, "you hold the bow in your right hand and pull back on the string with your left."

Aldrian held the bow out in front of him the same way he had seen Josh do it and pulled the string back to his ear easily.

"Huh, guess you can go a little heavier," he handed Aldrian a larger bow and watched as his friend pulled the string back again.

"This one feels better," Aldrian commented. _Who am I kidding, like I have a clue._

Josh smiled, "Whatever self degrading thought you just had, stop. You're doing great."

He lead them over to a target that wasn't in use. "Now we're gonna have to wait for the next round to get you shooting, but for now, let's practice putting an arrow on the bow."

Aldrian nodded and listened as Josh explained how to knock an arrow. The weirdest thing to him was that there was a right and a wrong side when it came to knocking. There were three feathers on the arrows and one was a different color. The different colored feather had to be facing up when he loaded it or it might get stripped and then the arrow wouldn't fly right anymore.

The teacher blew the whistle three times and everyone who shot went to get their arrows. When they came back and put them into their quivers the teacher blew his whistle twice telling them to approach and straddle the line. Aldrian did that, straddling so his right hand was facing the target.

The teacher blew his whistle once. They could shoot. Everyone had six arrows. Aldrian was hoping to get at least one o the target so he didn't look like a complete idiot. He looked to Josh who was standing behind him smiling encouragingly.

Aldrian took a deep breath and knocked his arrow. Then turned his bow vertically so he could get ready to shoot. One finger above the arrow, two below, like Josh had said, and aim using the point of his arrow, lining that up with where he wanted to hit. Josh had told him, in a perfect world, if you would line the arrow point up with the center of the target you should get a bull's eye, but that very rarely happened.

Even so, Aldrian aimed his arrow at the center of the target. He pulled the string back to his cheek, took a deep breath and let the string slip out of his grasp. Then he closed his eyes, too afraid to see if he had managed to hit the target at all.

"Dayum," Josh sounded impressed and Aldrian felt a hand pat him on the shoulder.

He slowly peeled his eyes open and was shocked to see his arrow standing proud in the middle of his target. He had gotten a bull's eye! His first ever shot and he had gotten a bull's eye.

"That's some beginner's luck you've got there. Shoot the rest of them. I'm gonna go shoot too."

Aldrian had a momentary panic because he was all by himself but it went away when he raised the bow preparing to shoot his second arrow. For some reason this felt so natural to him. Like he had been shooting his whole life, or he was born to do it. The second arrow landed very close to his first in the center of the target.

All too soon he had shot all six arrows and he was heading up to take them out of his target.

"Jesus, Aldrian," it was Jess, "I thought you said you never shot before."

"I haven't," he assured her. "Josh says it's beginner's luck."

"Some beginner's luck. I'd say it's more like natural talent."

They shot more rounds. Some people got tired of shooting and decided to watch Aldrian as he continued to surprise with his newfound archery skills.

After shooting six rounds, all of which consisted of nothing but bull's eyes for Aldrian, it was time to pack up.

Josh ran to him afterwards, "Dude, when you become a famous Olympic athlete, just remember who taught you to use that bow."

Aldrian allowed himself to smile. He finally felt like he was _good_ at something. Josh and Aldrian headed towards the doors laughing. The teacher in charge of the club came through the door quickly carrying a box, presumably to pack up the arrows and Aldrian accidentally ran into him. "Oh, I'm sorry Mr. McNabb."

"Don

t worry about it youn- Aldrian. See you next Friday?" the teacher said knowing the boy would surly be back after a session like that.

The kid broke out into a large smile. "Yeah, I'll definitely be here," with that promise, the two friends walked out of the room.

Orin McNabb was very conflicted. The youngling, Aldrian, could be trouble.

He hadn't seen anyone with such extraordinary archery talent since the last time Nri'Alda was in battle. He should really tell the man of this boy. Aldrian could end up making trouble for them, for their plan, for their _leader's_ plain.

But Aldrian was just a boy. Didn't even know he was an elf. Could Orin really bring himself to condemn the youngling to certain death just because he was a gifted archer?

 _Yes_.

He decided he could. They didn't need their enemies to get ahold of such a useful little elf. And he was sure the queen and prince would find out about him.

No.

He wouldn't take any chances. He'd go straight to Nri'Alda and let him know of this possible threat. And if the man ordered it, he'd gladly kill the boy for their cause.

Anyway Orin looked at, it Aldrian had to die.


	6. Chapter Five

Aldrian was still smiling as he left his house after eating dinner. He still had about two hours before the sun would set and he wanted to spend it shooting in his woods. Josh had given him one of his bows to borrow for the weekend and even gave him a shoulder quiver that had twelve arrows in it.

He made his way into the woods and stopped when he got to the clearing. Aldrian turned around facing the forest and just stared at the beautiful expanse of greenery around him. "Now, what can I shoot at?" he wondered aloud. He didn't really like the idea of shooting at trees, he didn't want to hurt them. And forget about shooting animals.

He scanned the area until he found a stump. Now _that_ , he could shoot. Aldrian let loose a couple rounds trying to make his groupings as close knit as possible. But after shooting at the stump for a while he wanted something a little more challenging. He collected his arrows and looked around for something else to shoot.

And then he saw something. A leaf falling from a tree near the opening of the clearing. _A moving target_. That would definitely be more challenging.

He quickly knocked his arrow aimed and let his string go. Aldrian watched as his arrow soared through the air. And went straight through the leaf taking it with it to wherever it landed in the clearing.

"No freaking way, that was amazing!" He whooped excitedly looking around for another leaf to fall. There was one off in the distance. Again he shot.

Again he hit it.

And it landed in the clearing.

There was a surprised horse whinny.

And he heard a man speak, "Whoa, Aspen," to the horse, then louder, "Whoever is shooting, show yourself and you will not be harmed." Sounded like Arroe to him so Aldrian let out a little irritated huff of air and made his way out of the forest, bow hanging at his side.

When he saw the man perched regally upon his horse Aldrian called out a greeting of sorts, "Jeez, you're such a buzz kill."

"Aldrian?"

"Yeah, who else would it be out here?"

"Someone else," Arroe answered cryptically. He watched the youngling inspect the two arrows he had shot into the clearing. Aldrian picked an arrow up and pulled a leaf off the end then put it back in his quiver. He picked up the second one and repeated the process.

Arroe couldn't believe this kid had been shooting at leaves. Shooting and actually _hitting_ them. Most of his men were more proficient in the art of swordsmanship and even his great archers were only trained to hit the red and yellow sections of the target proficiently. How long had this kid been shooting to get so good? He decided he had to ask Aldrian just that. "How long have you been shooting?"

He watched as the boy's face warmed to a light shade of pink. "Umm... today?"

Arroe sighed, he supposed that response fell under the _ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer_ rule. Why would he care how long Aldrian had been shooting today? "I'm sorry, I phrased the question badly. How many years have you been practicing archery?"

Aldrian gave him a strange look before answering, "Today is the first day I've ever used a bow and arrow."

Arroe's eyes grew wide. How could this kid just pick up a bow and shoot leaves out of midair? Just how good was this kid? Arroe decided to find out.

The other night during his chat with his mother she asked him to take a small break from his duties and focus on relaxing and getting some good quality meals. He begrudgingly agreed to lay low for the weekend.

Maybe he could invite Aldrian to the shooting grounds on the west end of their kingdom.

"Aldrian, would you like to meet up tomorrow and go to the archery grounds in this area?"

Aldrian looked as though he was giving the idea some thought. "Alright, why not? I can probably be here around 1:00. Does that work?"

"I look forward to seeing you then," Arroe nodded his head to the boy, said his goodbyes, and headed back to the palace. He needed to ask his mother if she knew of any elf families with an uncanny archery ability.

 

* * *

 

 

They were eating dinner in the study, preferring the more intimate setting over the superfloties their dining room offered, when Arroe brought up the subject of Aldrian.

"Are there any elf families in the kingdom that have a natural affinity for archery?"

His mother wiped her mouth with her napkin before asking, "Why the sudden interest in this topic?"

"Aldrian," was the simple reply. "I'm taking him to the archery range tomorrow."

So the youngling was good with a bow. _Interesting._

"There aren't many in this kingdom who could even be considered _proficient_ with a bow. We rely more on swords and defence magic." Arroe sightd raking a hand through his hair in frustration. He'd never figure this kid out. "But," his mother went on, "there was a time about twenty years ago when an elf came from a far off kingdom. He was a strong caster of spells and the best archer this kingdom had ever seen. He was charismatic and a great fighter who eventually became your father's righthand man."

Arroe looked at his mother, an expression of horror slowly forming as he put the pieces together. Surly it couldn't be true. Aldrian couldn't be related to that man. "No. Aldrian is not related to-"

"Nri'Alda," his mother spoke grimly.

 _The oath-breaker_.

 

* * *

 

 

Orin bowed deeply in greeting. "Lord Nri'Alda, there is a possible _setback_ that I would like to dispose of for you." He dared a glance up at the man, a crooked smile on his face, as he took in the radiant features of the oath-breaker. Long hair as red as blood and eyes to match, his face carefully devoid of all emotion.

"What exactly _is_ this setback?" the man asked coolly.

Orin straightened up from his bow and gave the oat-breaker a little summary, "A youngling in this area who shows immense skill wilding a bow and arrows. It's only a matter of time before he is used against you."

And you believe that this youngling could best _me_ with a bow?"

This caused Orin to pause and really think before giving an answer to Nri'alda. Did he think Aldrian capable of besting the man? Tuhfully, he wasn't sure, but the fact that he was even here warning him meant he thought there could be a possibility of the youngling doing just that. "I... I'm not sure," here Nri'alda let out a frustrated hiss, "he's inexperienced but with proper training... he could... he could become a very real threat."

Nri'alda's eyes narrowed, a calculating glint to them. Perhaps he was weighing his options. "What is the youngling's name?"

"Aldrian."

The oath-breaker's eyes widened minutely before he could gain control of his emotions, "A-Aldrian?" A name he thought he'd never hear again, never _speak_ again.

"Yes, my lord," Orin confirmed. "Should I dispose of him?"

"No!" Nri'alda boomed swiping his arm viciously as if that gesture could swipe those very words from existence. There was a wild look in his eyes that Orin ha never seen there before. The man cleared his throat and said more calmly, "No. For now just keep an eye on the boy. If it happens as you predict and we meet him in battle, I want him captured _alive_."

"My lord?" Orin wasn't used to the idea of taking prisoners in a battle. Usually it was just kill or be killed.

"Perhaps he can be persuaded to join our side."

Orin allowed himself a tiny grin as he took in the calculative statement. He would make sure when Aldrian was captured the boy made the right decision.

"Now, Orin, ready the troops. I've gotten word from m partner. We begin tonight."

 

* * *

 

 

Arroe was awoken from his slumber by the banshee like wales of sirens. He jumped out of bed and quickly got dresses. Running out into the hall, he almost collided with Roth'wen.

"Roth'wen, what's going on?" he implore with urgency.

"A village, attacked! By the oath-breaker!" the elf cried with flustered panic.

Arroe began running toward the stable. "Which village?"

"Eodem!"

Eodem. That was the village to the east. It was dangerously close to her he had first seen Aldrian.

Pushing all thoughts of the youngling from his mind he entered the stable and mounted Aspen. They were out and on their way to the village were Arroe knew his men would be, fighting off the attacks and dealing with the carnage that was sure to be made from them.

Arroe cursed as the village came into view. Even from a distance he could tell the mage was greater than he had anticipated. And he had been anticipating total carnage. As he looked at the y burning brightly, heard the moans and screams from helpless victims, he decided this was worse than total carnage. This was something darker, something more real.

He got off his horse when he reached the burning village. Better to leave her out of harms way. Arroe had barely taken two steps when the head of his army found him. "Report," Arroe ordered the man.

"Confirmed attack lead by the oath-breaker. We drove them off and are now dealing aftermath.

Arroe nodded and allowed the man to return to helping with the clean up. Everywhere he looked was destruction. Broken buildings. Fire. People screaming for missing loved ones.

Arroe screamed in rage hands clenched into tight fists. Why after all this time was this ... this _monster_ doing this?

What could the oath-breaker possibly gain by destroying a village full of innocent people?

Arroe wanted answers. The oath-breaker had just made a declaration of war and Arroe'd be damned if he'd let the man get away with his crimes this time. There had already been too much bloodshed at the hands of Nri'alda.


	7. Chapter Six

It was Saturday. One of the best days of the week in Aldrian's opinion. He liked the freedom the day allowed. He could sleep as long as he wanted, _do_ whatever he wanted. Basically, it was a day with no limits and restrictions and Aldrian liked that freedom.

Aldrian got dressed at a leisurely pace and went to the kitchen to make himself a sandwich.

He got the ingredients out of the fridge and began humming a tuneless little ditty as he assembled his lunch. He was so excited to go see Arroe this afternoon. Just thinking of the handsome man caused his stomach to jump nervously. He quickly pushed the nerves aside and sat down to eat at the table. The sooner he could get to the woods the better.

"Alright," a stern voice spoke, "who are you and what have you done with my son?" Aldrian glared at his mother good naturedly, his mock anger shot to crap when she grinned at him because he couldn't help but return the gesture.

Aldrian was never willingly out of his room during the AM hours on Saturday and here he was dressed and eating at 11.00. Janice had to know what was going on. "This must be a new record for you. Hot date?" his mother asked still joking.

"Well, actually," he shrugged his face heating up slightly in embarrassment.

It only got more red at the flabbergasted look on his mother's face. "Aldrian Heartman-Patel, you better spill your gutz now before I force the details out of you," she threatened and Aldrian was pretty sure she meant the threat. She was a rather pushy person when she wanted to be.

Might as well tell her. "Remember when I told you I'd seen a strange guy in the woods on Wednesday?" his mother nodded and impatiently motioned for him to continue with his explanation, "Well, I've seen him every day since then and he invited me to go to an archery range with him."

"What time are you meeting him?"

"1.00."

"What time will you be home?"

"Um... before dark?" he didn't want to give an exact time or she might get worried if he was out past it.

Apparently "before dark" was specific enough because his mother just nodded and asked her next question. "What's his name?"

"Arroe," Janice atched the smitten boy utter the name of the man he was meeting. Clearly Aldrian liked the guy a lot. She wanted to make sure the other guy felt the same toward her son.

"Invite him for dinner."

Aldrian sighed and agreed to do just that. He knew that inviting Arroe to dinner with his family was sentencing the man to a brutal interrogation. But, if Aldrian could be honest, he liked the idea of Arroe meeting his family.

He just hoped he hadn't read this situation wrong and this meeting was really a date.

At 12.15 Aldrian headed out of the house shouting a goodbye to his mother. He walked into the woods to meet Arroe in the clearing.

Janice watched her son walk off into the woods, a spring in his step. She sighed, _Ahh_ to be young and in love was a beautiful thing. Deciding she would spend her day cleaning, Janice turned to the kitchen. She'd start by washing the dishes.

Just as she was drying the last plate, there was a knock on the door. She opened the door and immediately slammed it. There was a man covered in blood standing o her porch again but... the one had looked familiar. Janice sighed and opened the door back up. There stood one of Aldrian's friends. He looked like he had been through the ringer. His clothing was dirty and his shirt had some holes or scratch marks (maybe) that almost looked like they had been burned into the material. He was dirty from head to toe, black smudges on his hands and cheeks. His blond hair was sticking up at odd angles and those deep chocolate eyes kept shifting nervously.

"I-is Aldrian here?" the boy asked voice scratchy as if he had screamed himself hoarse.

"I'm sorry Adish, you just missed him," Janice said kindly. It looked as if she just told him Santa Claus wasn't real. She saw tears well up in the boy's eyes. Wanting to appease the child somehow, Janice offered, "but you look like you could use a good rest. Why don't you go take a bath and have a nap while you wait for Aldrian."

The boy let out a sniffle and a tear escaped his eyes. "Thank you."

Janice pulled the boy into a comforting hug, "No problem hun." She ushered Adish into the house ahead of her and had to bite her tongue to keep from gasping in shock. The back of the kid's shirt was charred black and burnt.

Adish had clearly been through hell, perhaps she could make this day better than the last he had endured.

 

* * *

 

Arroe swiped a tired hand over his face. All the fires had been put out and the villagers had been reunited with their missing loved ones. But there was still a long way to go before Eodem would be back to its former glory. he next couple of days would probably be devoted to cleaning up rubble and having funerals for the unlucky few that hadn't survived.

"Sir?" he looked up, bleary eyed to see a member of his patrol team, "you should go get some rest. There's nothing that can be gained from you staying here in your current state." Seeing the prince was going to argue the man added, "Just rest for a few hours and come back."

Arroe nodded, "What time is it?"

"12.30."

 _Shit_. He was supposed to meet Aldrian in the clearing at 1.00. Arroe jumped to his feet, exhaustion momentarily forgotten, and went off to find Aspen.

 

* * *

 

Arroe was late. Aldrian sighed and decided he'd lay down in the tall grass while he waited. He ran his fingers along the green stalks and listened. The clearing was quieter than normal. There were no bird or chipmunk noises. It was strangely quiet. Aldrian wondered if something happened.

He heard a quiet disturbance, a rustling in the grass. "You're late," he spoke not bothering to get up from his comfortable position on the ground.

There was a pause so long that Aldrian feared the noise hadn't been Arroe at all. "I know," the man answered more subdued than Aldrian was used to. "There was a disturbance late last night and I was still helping there this morning," the man explained.

Aldrian got up from his spot. "You look beautiful today," Arroe complimented and watched as the boy tried to fight off a blush.

Aldrian gave the prince a once over. He looked bad. Dark circles under his eyes, clothes full of dark soot. "And you... you look like crap," Aldrian said deciding to be honest. And hey, it got Arroe to laugh so it had been worth it.

"Aspen, go home," the man ordered his horse and she left the clearing. "hall we?" he motioned for Aldrian to follow him, "it's not a long walk from here."

About five minutes to the walk Aldrian could no longer keep his curiosity in check "So why do you look so tired?" he new the man said there was a disturbance, but he wanted more details.

"Last night the village of Eodem was attacked by an army of rebels," the man explained the same way someone might make a comment on the weather.

"Holy shit! Is everyone okay?"

"There were a few casualties and the damage to buildings is extensive. But I think, given time, everyone will be okay," Arroe said. He was touched to know that the youngling cared so much for people he never met. Aldrian couldn't possibly be related to the Oath-breaker with that kind of compassion. That man and his kin were heartless.

Arroe watched with bemusement as Aldrian's eyes grew wide at the sight of the archery range. "This is amazing Arroe!" Aldrian laughed happily.

Arroe motioned for the kid to go hog-wild. And that's exactly what he did. As one hour of shooting turned to two Arroe realized a couple of things.

1\. He needed to get back to Eodem soon and then back to patrolling the boarders. They needed to catch the Oath-breaker and his army before they struck another village.

2\. Aldrian was amazing. In way more than one way. He was a natural archer. Hadn't missed the center of any target he came across. And besides archery, he was beautiful inside and out. His smile and easy going nature made something ache deep inside Arroe.

He wanted to know this boy.

But that would have to wait until later. Right now he had to look for a certain army that was long overdue capture.

"Aldrian," he called the boy over to him. "I'm sorry to have to cut our time together short, but I must return to Eodem."

Aldrian shook his head in understanding, a frown tugging at the corner of his lips.

"You can stay here if you still want to shoot. And feel free to come back here whenever you want," Arroe added.

"Thank you," the boy said catching the man by surprise when he hugged him. But the shocks kept coming as Aldrian stepped on his tip toes and placed a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Thank you for bringing me here Arroe."

The man just nodded not trusting himself to speak and left without another word, though the longing in his eyes told Aldrian that he would definitely be seeing the man again.

Aldrian shot for another hour and a half before deciding t explore more of the area on the way back to his home. Aldrian looked at his shooting fingers and wondered how long he's have to shoot for them to hurt. Something told him it wasn't normal to be shooting for three and a half hours without finger guards and have absolutely no pain.

But hey, he wasn't complaining.

On his way back, Aldrian stumbled upon a village. He looked at it from a distance. There were toppled stone buildings and charred marks, The air smelled of charcoal. And everything looked like it had been destroyed.

Recently.

There were people looking through rubble trying to find what was left of their possessions and more crying and hugging members of their family.

Maybe he could help them for a little bit. He was about to walk into the village when two men wearing armor suddenly were brandishing swords at him. He went to turn and run when one of them commanded, "Freeze."

Instantly Aldrian couldn't move at all. He willed his feet to move, but nothing happened. The swordsmen were coming closer.

Oh God, is this how he was going to die?

Some freaks in armor beheading him?

And then they said something else that Aldrian didn't understand. "Drop the glamour or we will be forced to present you as a prisoner before the queen."

Aldrian's brow crinkled in confusion. What the heck was a glamour?

The larger of the two men gave a wolfish grin, "I love when they're uncooperative."

He rose his sword and brought the hilt down over the boy's head rendering him unconscious. The quickly placed the kid in silver shackles and loaded him on the back of one of their horses.

"You know, Firen, this could be him. If the Oath-breaker was glamoured human don't you think he'd look like this kid?" the slighter man said to his partner.

Firen just snorted and looked at the unconscious boy. Sure maybe the kid was the Oath-breaker. But even if he wasn't, seeing a glamoured elf near Eodem shortly after the village was pretty much destroyed was extremely suspicious.

The kid had to know something about the rebel attacks and Firen would make sure he told them what he knew even if that meant Firen had to torture the youngling to get that knowledge.


	8. Chapter Seven

The two elves announced their presence at the palace. When the guards at the front door saw they were carrying a person between them they were questioned. "This is Firen and Byron reporting from the village of Eodem. We found this elf," here Firen shook the unconscious boy for emphasis, "lurking around the perimeter. We've brought him for questioning," he explained to the castle guards.

They motioned him through the doors and another elf swiftly lead them to the library to show their findings to the queen.

Firen grabbed the boy and hoisted him over a shoulder. At the questioning look Byron gave he simply stated, "It _has_ to be easier than how we _were_ carrying him."

Byron could not argue with that. Carrying the youngling between them when they were walking to the palace doors had been… less than ideal.

Byron followed behind Firen as they made their way to the library. He took this time to study the young thing they had brought in for questioning. He was pretty even with the glamour dulling his features. Beautiful creamy skin and vibrant red hair. Back in Eodem Byron noticed when they had used their magic to make the boy freeze he had been so _scared_ so _confused_. It left Byron unsure of whether the kid had anything to do with the destruction of the village.

He thought it more likely the whole situation was more happenstance.

But Firen thought differently.

And Byron had fed on that belief earlier when he said this kid looked like the oath-breaker to get a rile out of the man. Even though the resemblance was uncanny the young man couldn't be the oath-breaker. He was simply too young, too inexperienced.

The oath-breaker would have broken the spell they had cast earlier. Although, it was impressive that the kid could hold onto his glamour even while unconscious. Most inexperienced magic users wouldn't be able to keep the form under that much strain.

The servant stopped in front of a grand set of light oak doors. "Wait here while I announce your arrival to the Queen." They both nodded in understanding as he knocked on the door and slipped inside the library.

* * *

 

 

Queen Noir looked up from her desk where she had been going over budget information when she heard a knock on the door. And there she saw Roth'wen slipping into the room. "Please, Roth'wen come in. Not like I'm doing anything important," she greeted halfway sarcastic.

"I think you need to see this, majesty," Roth'wen insisted, not at all bothered by the sarcasm in her tone.

"What is it now? A golden apple? A venomless asp?"

"A youth apprehended by two guards at Eodem, actually."

That got the Queen's attention, "Send them in."

Roth'wen opened the door and motioned the two men inside.

The Queen studied the pair as they approached where she was seated at her desk. She knew of the pair, Byron and Firen. The slighter one was fairly decent at swordplay. But where he truly excelled was magic. He had a tan complexion and black hair with shocking blue eyes.

The larger one was a great swordsman with an unfortunately quick temper who was more than happy to interrogate their most dangerous criminals. He'd often use cruel methods to get the answers they needed. Everything about the man was dark from his personality to his long black locks. Over his shoulder was the youth they captured. She couldn't get a good look at him with the way he was being carried.

"Gentlemen," Noir greeted, "what brings you here?" she wanted to hear the reason from their mouths.

"Your majesty," Firen spoke, "we were patrolling the perimeter of the village of Eodem when we found this _puissant_ acting suspiciously." He shrugged the boy off his shoulder and the Queen had to suppress a wince as the kid fell to the floor with a resounding thud. "We thought it best he was taken here for questioning."

The Queen walked around her desk and bent down to get a look at the unconscious child. He had shockingly red hair and beautiful pale skin. And she noticed, with distaste, that there was a lump forming on the boy's forehead, no doubt from some rough handling on Firen's end. Probably hitting him with the hilt of a sword, if Noir had to guess.

"I wonder," she began voice feigning lightness, "if you think this child so insignificant, why you would bring him here for questioning."

Firen growled low in his throat.

Noir touched the boy's head gently where the bump was and muttered a healing spell under her breath, smiling in satisfaction when the swelling disappeared and the redness of the bruise faded. Then she reached for the silver shackles around the child's wrists and unlocked them with another muttered spell. The offending metal clasps fell to the floor with a clank.

"There was just an attack on that village, Majesty. This unknown elf was found lurking. When we asked him to remove his glamour he wouldn't. We are trying to make sure he isn't involved with the attack on Eodem," Byron explained quietly.

Noir liked this one. He wasn't nearly as easily offended as his brute of a friend. If that's all they wanted, she was certain she could convince the young one to drop his glamour.

She brushed the child's cheek gently and softly ordered him to wake up, with a little gentle compulsion from her magic.

The boy began to stir. He groaned and propped himself up on his elbows while taking in his surroundings. Finding himself in an unfamiliar place very near two known hostile people, and one he didn't recognize at all, made the boy gasp in alarm and try to scurry away from them. Sensing his distress, the Queen ordered, "Byron, Firen, wait outside until we're through talking."

Byron, of course, nodded and turned to exit the room leaving Firen to sputter in annoyance and begrudgingly follow his friend into the hall. Once they left the room the Queen turned to the frightened boy.

"I sent them away," Noir said, a small smile tugging at her lips, "now can we talk?"

The boy gave her a tentative nod watching as Noir sat behind her desk. She motioned for him to take a seat in one of the chairs across from her.

Aldrian made his way over to a chair and sat down. "I feel like I'm in the principal's office," he muttered still a little nervous. This lady seemed friendly enough, but looks could be deceiving. He relaxed slightly when she chuckled.

"Not quite, but I _do_ have some questions to ask you," she admitted. It almost sounded like she was apologizing for said questions.

Aldrian let an easy smile cross his face and said with way more confidence than he possessed, "Ask away."

The questions started out simple. "What is your name?"

"Aldrian."

"Aldrian?" This was Aldrian? _Arroe's_ Aldrian?

"Yes ma'am, the youngling answered with a nod.

 _Hmm_ , it should be easy to determine if he was the Aldrian that had her son so smitten.

"Your last name?"

"Heartman-Patel."

So far so good.

"Do you know somebody by the name of Arroe?"

"Yeah! I do," he answered excitedly. "Do _you_?"

"Yes, he's my son." And just to make sure they were talking about the same person she added, "Describe your Arroe to me.

The queen listened as the boy before her painted an accurate mental image of her son in both looks and personality. He was certainly observant. "We were actually together today at an archery range," Aldrian admitted quietly.

"So you're the Aldrian my son cannot stop thinking about," the queen accused. She laughed as the boy blushed.

"Alright, I have a few more questions to ask and then I will let you leave," she promised. "First, do you know who I am?"

Aldrian just shook his head. _Should_ he know who she was?

"I am Noir, Queen of this kingdom," she stated proudly.

 _Wait, what_? She was a queen? That raised _so_ many more questions than it answered. Did that mean Arroe was a prince? And he was in a _kingdom_? Why had he never heard of anything like that being in his woods?

"I can see that statement has brought forth many questions which I will gladly answer… at a later date." Clearly she was the one doing the questioning today. "Do you know why you're here?"

Aldrian just shook his head. How was he supposed to know why he was knocked out and manhandled into some kind of palace?

"There was an attack on a village," she informed.

"Yeah, Arroe told me about that earlier when I asked him why he looked so tired."

"Yes, he would have been very tired today, staying up all night to help that village." Noir added, "Those two _lovely_ gentlemen thought you had something to do with the destruction of Eodem."

"I," Aldrian's mouth suddenly felt too dry. He swallowed, trying to regain some kind of moisture. "I don't," he was going for emphatic but sounded more _pathetic_.

"I know you had nothing to do with it."

And he believed her words.

"Those two men, they ordered you to do something when they _apprehended_ you. Do you remember what they said?"

Aldrian thought he remembered, "They told me to drop the glamour? I think… I didn't really know what they were talking about," he admitted candidly.

The Queen sighed, "That's what I thought. It's been a pleasure to meet you Aldrian. Though, I wish it had been under better circumstances. I'm going to call those two brutes in to see you to the door."

Queen Noir bellowed for Byron and Firen and soon Aldrian left her room. She couldn't wait to tell her son she had met his Aldrian.

 

* * *

 

 

Out in the hall Firen turned to his friend, "Byron, you look as if you're about to fall over from exhaustion. How about I lead the kid the rest of the way out and you go get some rest?" he suggested patting his friend on the back.

Tired and grateful the other asked, "You mean that?"

Firen just grinned, "Yeah!"

"Thanks, I owe you," Byron said before leaving Aldrian and Firen alone in the hallway.

"Wow, that was _nice_ ," Aldrian commented surprised. Truthfully, he didn't think the man was capable of kindness. But talking to the Queen had eased his fears of the men who had taken him prisoner.

"Shut up," Firen growled before grabbing Aldrian's hand roughly and dragging him in the opposite direction that Byron had gone.

Now, Aldrian was non expert, but if Byron was leaving the castle and they were leaving the castle… shouldn't they both be heading the same direction?

He decided to voice his concerns, which were only fueled when they went down two flights of stairs and appeared to be quite under the ground. "Uhh, shouldn't we have followed your friend?"

"I said _shut up_!" the man yelled backhanding Aldrian across the face.

The hit was hard enough to put the kid in a daze for a couple seconds. He stumbled as Firen pulled him along the dark dank hallway.

Aldrian opened his mouth to speak again, "But-

Firen had enough of this kid's crap. He slammed the kid into the wall, pushing on both his shoulders roughly, "Listen up you little _leach_ ," the man seethed, "you might have fooled the Queen into believing whatever story you fed her with those innocent eyes of yours, but I _know_ you're no good."

He grabbed the kids head between both of his hands and laughed at his weak attempts to break free. "And I will find out what you intend to do to this kingdom." Firen slammed the boy's head against the wall relishing in the resounding crack the impact had made.

Aldrian slumped forward unconscious. Firen picked the boy up and slung him over his shoulder. Prisoners were so much easier to handle when they were unconscious.

He approached the dungeon master. "I have one for the high security detainment cells," Firen spoke.

"Says who?" the guard asked not quite believing the little thing in Firen's arms deserved such a high security cell.

"Prince Arroe," Firen lied with ease.

The guard nodded though the skeptical expression never left his face, and led Firen to one of the high security cells.

These cells were small. No more than metal boxes with a hole in the floor where the prisoner could do their business. The door was pure metal with not even a slit to pass food to the prisoner. Those that were put into the high security cells were not fed because they weren't expected to live long enough for that to be an issue.

Firen threw the unconscious boy into the cell and closed the door. The prison guard locked it. "I will be back later to interrogate him," Firen told the guard before he left.

The guard followed behind Firen slowly making his way to the mouth of the dungeon entrance. One of the other prisoners addressed him, "Didn't know we were taking younglings now."

The guard turned to look at the prisoner who had spoken to him, "You heard the man, the prince ordered it." What was he supposed to do? Surely the prisoner didn't expect him to defy orders from the _prince_.

To his surprise the prisoner laughed a bitter cynical sound. The guard knew this man had seen the worst of the world. "That man was _lying_."

And for some reason the guard believed this prisoner. He immediately wrote a message to the prince asking about the young red haired prisoner and requested that the prince come and deal with the youngling personally.

He then called for a messenger and told him to hurry and find the prince. Handing the man the note, the guard told him it was a matter of life and death. If he had no proof the prince hadn't told Firen to act, he'd have to let the man interrogate the poor child. He just hoped the prince would make it back before something happened to the youngling.


	9. Chapter Eight

Aldrian awoke with a headache scared and cold and not quite as alone as he would have liked. Firen sat in a chair across from him, a table in between them. Staring at Aldrian intently, watching. For what, Aldrian didn’t know.

A particularly nasty throb made him reach his hand up to rub at his temple. Or… he would have rubbed it if he wasn’t tied to a chair. He pulled at the restraints, beginning to panic as he realized he wasn’t getting out of them any time soon. Breathing quick and haggard he growled at the man across from him, “What the hell do you _want_?”

Firen did nothing but continue to stare. A small sadistic smile slowly formed on his countenance as he watched the young elf slowly tire himself out trying, in vain, to get out of the restraints that were doing a _fantastic_ job of holding him to the chair.

When the kid started to slump in the chair from exhaustion Firen decided to ask him some questions.

“What is your name?”

The kid just continued to breathe slowly his gaze directed at the floor.

He’d try one more time before getting a little more _forceful._ “What is your name?”

Aldrian lifted his head to stare into this man’s eyes with all the negative emotions he could muster. He wasn’t going to tell this man a damn thing.

Firen stood up from his chair and walked around the table coming to a stop in front of the boy, he looked down at Aldrian saying, “Now, I don’t want to hurt you,” here Aldrian scoffed. Probably not the best life decision but he wasn’t going to believe that crock of shit after the man had hit him with a sword _and_ bashed his head into a wall. This man clearly got some kind of sadistic pleasure from hurting people. “But you’ll force me to if you don’t answer my questions.”

When the boy still didn’t answer Firen backhanded him across the face _hard_.

“What is your name?”

Aldrian spat in his face. He noticed that there was blood mixed in with the spit. Then he was punched in the gut. Each blow felt like a new form of hell.

He tried to curl in on himself, to protect himself from the blows, but the restraints on his hands and legs left him completely vulnerable and unable to move. He had no choice but to sit there and take this torture.

At some point he started crying. His silent way of begging for the pain to stop.

And then suddenly it did. Aldrian glanced up at Firen through his lashes. And again the guy asked, “What is your name?”

Aldrian wondered if the pain would stop if he answered the question. He doubted it. Probably would just lead to harder questions. Questions that he wouldn’t be able to answer.

And then he’d just get hurt some more. No, he wasn’t answering any of this man’s questions.

“F-f,” Firen leaned closer thinking the kid was finally going to tell him a name. “Fuck you,” Aldrian spat.

The man questioning him growled in rage before slamming his elbow down on Aldrian’s fingers.

The boy screamed in pain, as the blows continued, eventually passing out from a forceful blow to the head. Firen growled. He’d give the kid one thing, he was _tough_. He’d definitely broken the kid’s fingers and still hadn’t even gotten a name from him.

He picked the boy up and threw him back into his cell. As Firen passed the dungeon master he said, “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

But Firen didn’t come back the next day. And, for better or for worse, Aldrian was left alone in his cell. Hunger was beginning to gnaw at him. His body ached. Ad he was so _thirsty_. How long had it been since he had a glass of water? He let out a whimper and curled into himself for a feeble attempt at comfort and warmth, praying that someone would get him out of here soon.

 

* * *

 

 

Firen came back the next day with a new tactic he thought would make the kid talk. Beating him hadn’t worked but he was sure his new approach would work for at least a little while.

He dragged the boy from his cell and threw him in the interrogation chair. There was little resistance from the boy as Firen tied down his hands and legs.

The kid looked broken down. Hopefully this would be quick and easy. Firen left the room to get his new persuasive object.

Aldrian weakly raised his head as Firen got up to leave. What was the man doing now? It turned out he didn’t have to wait long. Firen came back into the room holding the most beautiful thing Aldrian had ever laid eyes on.

A glass of water.

Aldrian couldn’t take his eyes off of that wonderful sight.

Firen watched as the kid stared at the glass. He set it on the table between them. The kid licked his lips.

“Now here’s how it’s going to work,” Firen began, “I’m going to ask you some questions and you’re going to answer them. Every time you give me an answer I like I’ll give you some water.”

Firen sat back in his seat confident that this technique would produce some favorable answers. “What is your name?” he asked deciding he’d start with the unanswered question from last time.

Aldrian hesitated. He knew he shouldn’t even be thinking about answering that man’s questions. But… he was so _thirsty_. He hadn’t had water in _days_. He didn’t know how much longer he’d survive without it. And he didn’t know how long he’d be stuck down here.

Maybe he could answer a few questions.

Sighing he answered quietly, “Aldrian.”

Firen couldn’t believe the kid had finally answered his question, ‘That wasn’t so hard now, was it?” he grabbed the cup and walked around the table. He kneeled down level with the tied up boy and brought the cup to his lips. Aldrian parted his lips slightly letting the glorious liquid slide down his throat.

All too soon the cup was taken away and Aldrian let out a little whine. His throat still felt so _dry_.

“Next question,” Firen spoke a smile upon his face. He was winning this time. He decided he’d give the kid a couple more pointless questions so he’d get more to drink. He made the kid to be hydrated enough to keel over in he needed to interrogate him for another day or two.

“How old are you?” not really a relevant question to the attack, but he wanted to know how young this man was. He was curious to how someone so young was involved in the destruction at Eodem.

“Eighteen,” Aldrian answered quickly. Firen watched as the kid’s eyes flicked from him to the glass. He once again let the boy drink.

And then he asked his third question at the boy’s side. “Why did you have that bow and arrow with you?”

“I was shooting,” Aldrian answered softly.

Firen supposed that was true. The kid was probably one of the archers with the oath-breaker and had somehow gotten left behind when the army fled.

He let the kid drink again. “Look at you drinking out of my hand like some king of _pet_ ,” Firen spat. He supposed that was probably enough water to ensure that the kid lived. Now he could ask the more important questions.

“Why did the rebels attack Eodem?”

“I don’t know.”

Firen thought perhaps the kid _didn’t_ know. Wouldn’t be the first time he interrogated somebody who just blindly followed the group into battle. But still he said, “I didn’t like that answer, Aldrian.”

The kid looked at the glass of water and then at Firen begging with those big honey eyes, “But, I don’t know,” he insisted.

“Where is their camp?” Firen asked.

Aldrian wanted to scream in frustration but steeled for crying silently. He didn’t know anything about the rebels.

“Come now, Aldrian. All you have to do is tell me where the rebels are. Tell me where Nri’alda is hiding and I’ll give you the rest of the water,” the man spoke like he and Aldrian were old pals.

Aldrian continued to sob. He _wished_ he could tell this guy _something_. He wanted the water.

“I… I don’t _know_.”

The boy jumped, startled, when Firen slammed his hand down on the table. Fed up, Firen strode around to his side of the table with the glass of water, still half full. He walked toward the door and looked back at the boy cruelly before downing the rest of the water.

Aldrian’s anguished screams followed him out of the room.

Firen decided he’d be back in a few hours with some truth serum to finally get the answers he needed.

Aldrian sat in the interrogation cell for an undiscernible amount of time. It could have been minutes or hours, he didn’t know. All he knew was time passed. And he was still miserable. His fingers hurt, his bruises throbbed, he was hungry and still incredibly thirsty.

Then Firen was back holding wat looked like a syringe.

Aldrian didn’t know what was in it, but he knew whatever it was, he wanted it nowhere near him. But, really, what was he going to do when Firen tried to use it on him? It’s not like he could move.

Firen stalked closer to the boy dragging out the moment as long as possible. He wanted the boy to get scares, worked up from the sight of the unknown substance so that there would be adrenaline in his system. The drug mixture he was using was said to work better, move faster, in people that were experiencing an adrenaline rush. And what was this cocktail of drugs?

Scopolamine, morphine and chloroform.

With the right mixture of those drugs the patient entered a state that doctors called the “twilight sleep.” While in this state they had an amazing ability to answer questions, questions that they normally wouldn’t answer, or couldn’t recall the answer to, accurately and without hesitation. The drug was originally used on pregnant women in the early twentieth century to help with the pains of giving birth. Now it was also sometimes used as a kind of truth serum. All Firen had to do was go to some of his less ethical doctor friends to acquire the drug.

“What is… that?” Aldrian asked softly. Firen saw absolutely no harm in telling the boy exactly what his inability to answer the earlier questions was about to cost him.

“It’s scopolamine, morphine and chloroform,” he answered.

Aldrian began struggling at the mention of drugs. He didn’t know what the first one was but morphine and chloroform were… bad.

“It’s a truth serum,” Firen added.

The boy continued his fruitless struggles, looking up at Firen with the most pathetic expression the man had ever seen. “Please, please you have to believe me,” he begged. “I don’t know anything!”

Firen knelt down next to him and pulled the kid’s shirt collar down to one side giving him room to stick the needle into the fleshy area between the neck and collarbone. “I’m telling the truth!” Aldrian cried one final time.

The needle pierced his skin and he whimpered as the drug entered his system.

“Not the truth I want to hear,” Firen leaned back against the table and watched the drug take hold of the boy.

First his struggling stopped. He became extremely subdued and his eyes began to droop a little. Once the boy was sitting there completely docile Firen began his questioning. He once again started with questions the boy could answer. This was a way of making sure Aldrian was telling the truth.

“What is your name?” the man asked voice full of steel.

The boy’s answer was sluggish but accurate, “Aldrian.” His head slumped to the side and he struggled to lift it back up.

“What is my name?”

“Firen.”

“Do you want to answer my questions Aldrian?”

“No,” the boy answered quietly.

“But you will won’t you?” When the kid took too long to answer Firen pressed on, “Aldrian, you will answer my questions, won’t you?”

“Yes,” Aldrian whispered.

“What weapons do you know how to use?” Firen figured he might as well see how much of a threat this kid was.

“Just… bow and arrow.”

Firen found it interesting that the kid didn’t say anything about his magic. Anyone that could hold a glamour so long obviously had a great deal of magical capabilities.

“Why were you in Eodem when we caught you?”

“It… was…” Aldrian’s answers were getting more and more sluggish. Firen knew the boy wouldn’t be able to answer any more questions shortly. That was one drawback of the drug, a short window of time for questioning.

“Why were you in Eodem?” Firen asked again.

“Arroe… rebels…” the kid answered sluggishly. So the rebels were after the prince? Or was this kid still talking about his position amongst the rebels?

“Where is the rebel’s base?” Firen asked instead. If he could just find out they’d be able to take the whole army down.

Aldrian took in a gulp of air. This was it, Firen would finally have his answers. “I… don’t… know.”

The elf growled in frustration. Losing his composure he grabbed the drugged boy by his shoulders and shook. The kid’s head snapped back and forth languidly looking every bit the rag doll. “Where is the oath-breaker?” he yelled in Aldrian’s face.

The kid slumped down more in his chair, the drugs making his body heavy. “I… don’t… know.”

How was this _possible_? Firen had given the kid a truth serum and he was still able to lie. Aldrian must have been more important to the oath-breaker than Firen thought if the time was taken to make sure he could beat a truth serum.   It never crossed Firen’s mind that maybe, just maybe Aldrian was telling the truth. The boy really knew nothing.

Firen untied the boy and carried him back to his cell. He had some thinking to do. It had been three days and the kid still didn’t show any signs of breaking. There had been times when Firen thought they had been making progress until the kid started answering with those _I don’t knows_. Maybe he should use a nullifier.

Nullifiers worked best on elves with a large store of magic within. The small piece of jewelry was either fastened to the ears or, like a collar, around the neck. It would absorb all the magic the elf possessed, leaving a void inside them that slowly drove them to the brink of madness. Firen heard not being able to feel your magic was like having your soul ripped in two.

If he did that to the boy there was no question he’d end up dead whether Firen got his answers or not. Aldrian would beg for death and since Firen was such a _kind_ man he would be only too happy to grant the youngling’s wish.


	10. Chapter Nine

Aldrian was laying on his back staring at the ceiling in the tiny cell. The throbbing of his fingers and the pangs of hunger had dulled to a constant ache that let him know he was still alive. There were an increasingly alarming amount of blank spaces in his memory. Things he couldn't remember. He didn't know what happened after Firen, that horrible man, had given him the truth serum. But Aldrian supposed he… told the truth. Which probably made the man angry because the truth was obviously not what he wanted to hear.

Maybe he should try making something up. Maybe it would get him out of this place faster.

There was a clanking of metal outside that Aldrian knew meant his door was being unlocked. Pretty soon Firen would probably be dragging him back to that interrogation room. The door opened and closed. To Aldrian's surprise, he wasn't immediately yanked out of the room. Instead Firen walked over to him, slow and calculating, and kneeled down next to him. The man looked down at him ice in his eyes with emotions just as cold, "You know, you've really brought this on yourself," he admonished like a father scolding his reckless son. His tone of voice was so different than his hard facial expressions, it caused Aldrian to focus all his attention on the man.

When he did, Aldrian saw in Firen's hand was something that looked like an ornate silver collar. The complex crossing of metal on the jewelry made it look like a well-crafted fishing net or a spider's web. It was pretty. And Aldrian was sure he'd hate it.

Firen opened the collar up and reached down to put it around the boy's neck. He was absolutely shocked when Aldrian did nothing more than stare up at him as he did this. Most magic users did anything in their power to keep a nullifier off of them. It was almost like the kid didn't even recognize the agonizing piece of jewelry.

Once he had the nullifier positioned correctly on Aldrian, Firen locked the collar in place activating its horrible purpose. He decided he'd stay for a little and watch the destruction of this youth. Then he'd leave and see how the kid was fairing with the nullifier after a day or so.

As soon as the collar was around his neck Aldrian could feel that something wasn't right. He didn't know what it was, but it felt like something was being taken from deep inside him. There was a deep ache forming in his very core. _What was happening?_ Aldrian whimpered curling in on himself but it did nothing to soothe the deep internal pain.

Firen felt a satisfied smirk tug at his lips as the kid curled in on himself. Soon he was crying pathetically, begging for the pain to stop. Then, amazingly, the glamour upon him started to flicker.

It felt like a sword had been plunged straight through Aldrian. He screamed in agony. The sword twisted and Aldrian swore he could _hear_ himself ripping in two. He cried for the pain to stop. For it to go away. Begged. He knew Firen could make it stop. He tried to look at the man to beg him to make the pain stop but Aldrian couldn't see clearly past the tears in his eyes. And speech was almost impossible through the stabs of pain. He managed a few unintelligible words.

Pain was all he knew.

The kid's glamour lifted when the last of his active magic was ripped from him. His appearance left Firen gaping. In front of him was the spitting image of the oath-breaker. Aldrian's hair had lengthened and became a shocking shade of red. His skin was so pale he'd probably glow in the moonlight and Firen knew if his eyes were open they'd be the same murderous red as his hair.

There was no doubt about it: this kid was the oath-breaker. Firen never would have guessed the traitorous elf would look so young. Anger like he had never felt coursed through Firen. This kid deserved to suffer. He was responsible for the death of the king! For throwing their whole kingdom into turmoil.

Firen exited the cell and locked the door. Maybe he'd wait two days before coming back to interrogate the leader of the rebel army. After all, the man deserved to suffer without his magic for as long as Firen could allow.

As he was passing the dungeon master the man rounded on him hissing angrily, "What did you do to that boy? I heard his screams all the way out here."

"Nothing he didn't deserve," Firen growled back walking quickly up the stairs. He shot back over his shoulder, "He's the oath-breaker," before ascending to the upper levels of the palace.

Turning to the talkative prisoner the dungeon master asked, "Do you believe what he's saying?"

The prisoner, Kade, sighed scratching his head, "I believe he _thinks_ what he's said is true."

"But?" the guard pressed. There was always a _but._

"But that kid is not the oath-breaker. Might be his son, but definitely not him."

"The oath-breaker doesn't have a son."

"Not one that you've seen," the prisoner shot back. He knew the guard didn't believe his words about the oath-breaker having a son. No one believed that a man like him could have a family. That a man like him could _love_. But he had seen the boy once, long ago.

The child was the spitting image of his father except for those large golden eyes. He assumed those came from the youngling's mother but he had never met the woman. She had died before Nri'alda had traveled to this land.

He only hoped that the son of his best friend was not the one in that cell. The boy couldn't have committed a crime above resemblance to the oath-breaker. Even that, in and of itself, wasn't so horrible. Kade would be the first to admit, the man was handsome and fiercely loyal to the king. He had tried to tell them all that when he was imprisoned for conspiring against the crown. But everyone believed Nri'alda capable of murder, of breaking his oath to protect the king at all cost. And Kade, being his best friend, was capable of assisting in the crime. Which landed him in the dungeon with the dungeon master. Well, worse things could have happened.

The guard dismissed the prisoner's crazy words. "What do you think Firen did to him?" he was almost afraid to hear the answer.

"There's only one thing that makes an elf scream like that," the prisoner began darkly, "like your soul is being ripped from your very core," he looked into the dungeon master's eyes. "He used a nullifier."

"Shit!"

 

* * *

 

 

The next day found Prince Arroe striding down the dungeon steps.

"Arroe, I'm so glad you're here!" the dungeon master bellowed.

"What's wrong Elias? What's this about a prisoner?" the prince asked, a certain amount of worry in his voice. His friend had never sent a note that sounded quite so urgent. Even so, he wished he could have made it back to the castle sooner.

"Did you order a young prisoner to be sent to a high security detainment cell?" Elias blurted out in a rush.

"No?" Arroe answered question apparent in his tone. "We haven't caught anyone suspicious around our boarders or at Eodem," he elaborated.

"Told you that _bastard_ was lying," a prisoner barked out.

"What's going on Elias?"

Instead of answering, the dungeon master led Arroe to the cell and unlocked the door. Biting his lips Elias looked to his prince and friend, "He's in there. Help him?" Not waiting for an answer from his friend, Elias turned on his heels and went back to his post at the entrance to the dungeon.

Arroe slowly opened the cell door. His heart froze at the sight that greeted him. The oath-breaker? Curled in the fetal position, his back to the door. Weeping? The prone figure seemed to notice his arrival, if just barely.

He saw the man's back stiffen as if he was waiting for something bad to happen. "P-please Firen," the sobbing heap begged, "please… kill me."

Wait. Arroe knew that voice. It was devoid of the sarcastic bite he was used to hearing but it had to be… "Please, I can't live like this!" Arroe knelt next to the figure and gently tugged on his shoulder turning him so he could see the crying face.

Big golden eyes looked up at him in shocked confusion. "A-Arroe?" Aldrian asked scarcely believing the man was real.

It _was_ Aldrian. Without his glamour. His hair was crimson and long, skin practically glowing and… there was a nullifier around his neck. "Elias," Arroe yelled out of the cell knowing his friend would hear him, "get my mother immediately." He sat down on the floor and pulled Aldrian into his arms. "Don't worry, we'll get that off of you. You'll be okay," Arroe promised as the boy just wept in his arms.

That was how the queen found them ten minutes later. Before she could even ask about the situation at hand Arroe spoke. 'Mother, he has a nullifier around his neck. Can you help me remove it and stabilize him?"

Removing a nullifier was easy. It just took some gentle magical coercion. Stabilizing the elf was the hard part. Magic built up over time and having it all drained out like that could take days, even weeks to replenish. During that unstable period where the magic levels were dangerously low elves usually slumped into a depression. Though, honestly, these depressed elves were the lucky ones. Far more went insane or actually killed themselves.

Arroe couldn't risk that happening to Aldrian. His mother and he were going to give Aldrian some of their magic in an effort to stabilize the young elf and bypass that period of low magical energy.

The queen nodded at her son's words, "I think it's best if toy remove the nullifier and I start feeding him some magic," Arroe immediately agreed. His mother had a greater magical capacity that him so she had more that she could share with Aldrian without giving away too much of her own magic.

She placed a hand on the boy's chest. Arroe reached for the nullifier. Before opening it he addressed the boy, "Aldrian, this is going to hurt a little at first, but I promise it will make you feel better. Are you ready?"

"Yes," the boy answered quietly.

Queen Noir couldn't believe this was Aldrian. She never would have guessed. She was the one to suggest that he was related to the oath-breaker but never had she thought that she could be right about him. Another thing, Firen, because she was sure it was his doing, had some major explaining and groveling to do. She still wasn't sure anything he said would save him from prison… and the wrath of her son.

She heard Arroe gently unlock the nullifier and pull it from Aldrian's neck. Immediately Noir began sending her magic to the youngling through her hand. At the hiss of pain coming from Aldrian she slowed the flow of the magic slightly. She wanted to make this whole ordeal as painless as possible for the boy. She had the feeling he had experienced enough pain while in this place. Looking at the rest of the injuries Aldrian possessed, Noir gasped. There was extensive bruising on his head and the fingers of his right hand looked like they had been broken. She bet there was more she couldn't see too. But for now, those fingers needed to be fixed. She sighed, "Arroe, could you take over for me? I want to heal his fingers," Noir explained to her son.

Nodding, Arroe placed his hands on Aldrian's chest and slowly added his magic while his mother weaned her's away. Once she had stopped the flow completely she gingerly grasped Aldrian's right hand and got to work healing his broken fingers. After that she healed all the visible bruises. "Aldrian, are you hurt anywhere I can't see?"

The boy had stopped whimpering a little bit ago and was slowly starting to fall asleep. Noir knew he desperately needed the sleep, because elves that had their magic stripped from them really didn't get to sleep, their pain was too great. That he was tired was a good sign, it meant that an elf's magic was finally returning to an acceptable level.

"My stomach," he admitted with a yawn. Noir quickly healed that area and watched as Aldrian's eyes finally closed.

Arroe let out a sigh. He picked Aldrian up, supporting him behind his shoulders and knees. "I'm going to take him to my room to rest," he decided.

The queen just nodded. She couldn't believe how great that youngling's magical capacity was at such an early age. She followed behind her son and Aldrian as they left the dungeon.

"Thank you Elias," she said to the dungeon master on the way out, "you saved that child."

Elias watched them leave, conflicted. Sure he had _saved_ the kid but only after being the one to put him in that cell in the first place. He didn't feel like _anyone_ should be thanking him.

The prisoner approached the front of his cell and leaned casually against the bars casting a sideways glance over at Elias.

"She's right, you know. You saved that boy. You're a hero." There was no mocking in the man's tone and Elias marveled at how honest this man always seemed.

"I don't feel like a hero," Elias admitted.

"Heroes rarely do," the criminal replied sagely and Elias wondered, not for the first time, how a man this wise was put behind bars. "The name's Kade," the prisoner said introducing himself after all this time. Elias merely nodded letting the man know he had heard him.

"So," the prisoner sent him a mischievous smile giving him a once over, "can I call you Elias?" he practically purred.

"Shut up," Elias growled, but the smile on his face took away some of the bite the tone suggested. He knew he'd be letting the prisoner, _Kade_ , call him by his name if that's what the man wanted.


	11. Chapter Ten

Arroe sat next to his bed watching as Aldrian slept. After the horrors of the dungeon that really seemed to be all he was doing. That and eating. Every time the boy awoke Arroe was there watching over him. The times of consciousness came few and far between the first day and a half.

                By the end of the second day the youngling had gained enough magic back to start using his glamour again and Arroe watched with barely contained curiosity as the magicked disguise flickered back into place.

                A couple of hours later the boy woke up. Aldrian looked around. He was in a large ornate room, laying in the softest bed he’d felt in ages. There was a presence near to him and he turned his head to the right to see Arroe dozing lightly in a chair sat next to the bed.

                “Arroe,” Aldrian tried softly not sure if he really wanted to wake the man, but at the same time really needing him awake. The man woke with a jerk.

                “Aldrian, you’re awake!” the man said excitedly as he eyed the very awake youngling.

                Aldrian just nodded, he was aware he was awake, but it was still nice of Arroe to point that out. He’d hate to think this all a dream where he’d wake up back in that dungeon.

                Arroe took in the sight of the youngling. He really did look so much better than he had two days ago. And, “You really _do_ look like the oath-breaker,” Arroe thought out loud. He hadn’t really seen it at first but, now that he had seen the kid without his glamour on, he had to admit the similarities were endless.

                “Who’s the oath-breaker?” Aldrian asked. He remembered Firen asking about that person while interrogating him.

                Arroe sighed, of course Aldrian wouldn’t know who the oath-breaker was. He had grown up exclusively in the human world. He was probably the only elf that _didn’t_ know of Nri’Alda. This was going to take a lot of careful explaining.

                “It’s a rather long story, are you sure you’re up for it?” Arroe warned slightly trying to talk Aldrian out of wanting to hear it.

                “I’ve got time,” Aldrian sat up against the headboard and waited for Arroe to explain.

                “Well, I’m sure you realize by now that I’m not exactly human. That _no one_ around here is human.”

                “You know, I _have_ noticed that,” the youngling exclaimed his tone slightly mocking. He was acting all cool-as-a-cucumber on the outside but on the inside Aldrian was freaking out. It was one thing for him to joke about the man being something other than human but it was another thing entirely to hear it from the man’s mouth.

                He wasn’t sure how he felt about it. And he didn’t know whether to believe what Arrow was telling him.

                “We’re elves,” Arroe explained unaware of the inner turmoil Aldrian was battling.

                To Aldrian, this explanation made sense. _Elves_ made sense. And he _wanted_ to believe what Arroe was saying. There had been too many truths lately that he had spoken that people hadn’t believed. He didn’t want to be that kind of skeptic to Arroe.

                So he decided he’d listen to the man’s tale as if everything was the truth. “Alright,” Aldrian agreed when he realized Arroe was waiting for him to say something after that last announcement.

                “’Alright’?” Arroe questioned. “I just tell you I’m an elf and all you say is ‘alright’?”

                “Would you rather I freak out?”

                The elf cringed, “No, ‘alright’ will do.”

                Arroe rearranged himself in his chair, getting into a more comfortable position before launching into the heart of the explanation. “Well, in elf-culture there are certain practices and traditions that aren’t followed in other cultures.”

                Aldrian nodded at this. He could totally understand that. It was like the different religions celebrating their own winter holidays. In a sense…

                “One of our practices is oath-making. That’s basically where someone makes a promise to someone else that binds them together.”

                Aldrian understood that too. “But when someone breaks an oath it is punishable by death. The breaking of an oath is considered one of our worst crimes,” Arroe continued.

                Okay, so they took this oath thing seriously. And someone who goes by the name of oath-breaker _obviously_ broke an oath. “About twenty years ago an elf came here from another kingdom.”

                “Wait,” Aldrian was unable to keep from interrupting. “You mean there’s more elf kingdoms than just this one?”

                “Of course,” Arroe answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

                And, hey, maybe it _was_. What did Aldrian know anyways?

                “So the elf,” Arroe said getting back on track with his explanation, “he was, quite frankly, amazing. His name was Nri’Alda. Gifted with magic and an absolute killer with a bow, he was charismatic and fierce with hair the color of blood and eyes that matched. He waltzed right into this kingdom and requested a meeting with the royal family.”

                The royal family so that was, “You and your mom?” Aldrian was still trying to wrap his head around _that_ one.

                “My mother, _father_ and I,” Arroe corrected.

                _Father_ … Aldrian had a feeling he knew where this story was going. After all, he had never seen a king at the palace.

                “He bowed to the king and made an oath to always be loyal to Pal’Nix. That was my father’s name.”

                Yup, Aldrian could definitely tell where this was going.

                “For four years he acted the part of my father’s right hand man fatefully, and then,” Arroe’s eyes turned cold and Aldrian felt a little bad for insisting on hearing the story. But he really wanted to know. Felt he _needed_ to know.

                “He had us all fooled,” the prince continued darkly. “It happened while my mother and I were away. Nri’Alda murdered my father. Then he fled the kingdom murdering several other palace personelle. He broke his oath of loyalty to a man that trusted him completely and caused a thriving kingdom to continue without its king.” Although Queen Noir was a fantastic ruler, and mother, Arroe missed having a father figure in his life.

                “The oath-breaker’s accomplice was caught and has been in the dungeon to await ‘punishment’ but the oath-breaker… well, until the attacks on Eodem, his trail had gone cold.”

                “ _That_ was the oath-breaker’s doing?” Aldrian couldn’t believe one man could do that much damage. That village had been completely destroyed.

                “The oath-breaker and his rebel army.”

Oh right… the rebels. Nri’Alda must have been their leader. “Sounds like you really need to catch this guy.”

“He’s not going to be caught,” Arroe all but growled. “He will know the same fate as my father. And even that courtesy is more than he deserves.”

Arroe looked at Aldrian, “But,” oh no, there was this _hopeful_ look on his face that Aldrian was sure he didn’t like, “Maybe you could help me catch him?”

“No,” Aldrian said without missing a beat.

Aw man, now Arroe was doing this almost puppy dog eyes thing and Aldrian couldn’t take that level of pathetic cuteness from the older man.

                “Fine,” he sighed knowing that would be the outcome anyway.

                “Great!”

                Arroe then proceeded to tell Aldrian that he was to use his archery skills in the battle since that was a skill that a lot of his own men lacked. When Aldrian had asked how Arroe knew there was even going to be a battle his answer was Eodem.

                The attack on that village was apparently a warning of sorts.

                Arroe decided that Aldrian should go home and rest. He rode the boy to the eastern border and helped him off of Aspen.

                “How will I know when the battle’s happening?” Aldrian asked as he walked over to the stream.

                The cryptic reply he got was, “Oh, you’ll know.”

                Aldrian crossed the stream feeling that funky molasses air in the middle, he’d never get used to that, and looked back to find that he could no longer see Arroe. That was one weird-ass body of water.

                Aldrian walked up to the back door of his house. He felt like he just agreed to kill a man. Did that make him a bad person?

                No. The guy had killed someone. What did it matter if he killed a killer? But… Aldrian wasn’t sure if he could shoot anyone, let alone _kill_ them. He wondered if this was how an army member felt before their first battle. He supposed he’d get the answers to all his questions in battle.

                He was so wrapped up in thoughts of all he just learned that Aldrian never once thought about how long he had been away from home.

                His mother was standing there looking ragged and worried, “Where the Hell have you _been_?”


End file.
